Teoctist (Arapasu) of Romania

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His Beatitude Teoctist (Arapaşu) is the fifth and current Archbishop of Bucharest and Patriarch of all Romania. He was born in the village of Tocileni, Botoşani county, Moldova, to Dumitru and Marghioala Arapaşu on February 7, 1915. He was baptised with the name Toader.

In 1928 he became a novice at Sihastria Voronei hermitage and later at Vorona Monastery, both in Botoşani county. In 1930 he entered the monastic seminary at Neamţ Monastery and in 1935 took monastic vows at Bistriţa-Neamţ Monastery, receiving the name Teoctist. In 1937 he was ordained as hierodeacon and in 1945 as hieromonk. On March 5, 1950, he was ordained bishop by Patriarch Iustinian.

On September 25, 1977, he was elected Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina, and on November 19, 1986, he was enthroned as Archbishop of Bucharest and all Romania.

After the December Revolution of 1989, Patriarch Teoctist offered his resignation to the Holy Synod in penitence for the Church compliance with some of the abuses of the previous communist regime. The Holy Synod chose to ask him to return to the position to which he had been elected in 1986 after receiving requests that he do so from faithful across Romania.